Remember

They say that you never forget where you were when you heard about certain events. The day that President Kennedy was shot. The moment that Pearl Harbor started getting bombed. The day that we initiated the first Gulf War. September 11, 2001. I was on a treadmill.

I arrived at the gym around 6am and saw the news reporting that a plane had flown into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. At that time, there was no reason given for the poor flying. Had a pilot had a heart attack? Did a navigation system fail? The Today Show was on and there was discussion and speculation, but the terrorist possibility was not really highlighted. I started running and watched the show. All cameras were trained on the towers, with occasional glances back at Matt and Katie. And then, we saw another plane enter the corner of the screen. And then, it headed straight for the other tower. And everyone in the gym stopped running. Treadmills still moving, but no sound of footfall on the belts. Everyone was just standing there, trying to decide if they were really seeing what they thought they were seeing. I just stood there as it happened - unable to fully grasp what I was watching. After a few minutes, I continued my workout and just listened to the news. It was so quiet in the gym. No one was chatting. Everyone was more intense, seemingly wrapped up in their workout, but really wrapped up in their thoughts and how the world had just changed.

By the time that I arrived home, a plane had flown into the Pentagon. I knew that Roger knew people there and called him. Oddly, the people that I most expected to be awake early in the morning (Roger and Mom) had slept a little later than usual that morning. Roger answered the phone and I asked if he'd been watching the news. He said that he hadn't turned on the T.V. yet. I remember my words, "the Pentagon has been hit." He asked, "by what". I then told him about the events of the morning. Suddenly it was Leiutenant Colonel Roger Gaines on the phone, "I've got to go Kim, I've got to get briefed." It reminded me that in times of crisis we default to the mode where we've known crisis in the past. After West Point, Vietnam, and his many years of service to this country, he knows briefings.

So much has happened since then. I realize that Bailey will never know a world without the very real threat of terrorism. That's strange. That's not the world that I grew up in. I realize that my dad, the ultimate history and world affairs buff, knew none of this. The first Gulf War occurred after he died. Obviously, so did the second. And, the Twin Towers were still standing during his life. I didn't even know Adam prior to 9/11.

Shortly after this event, I had the opportunity to meet a photographer named Peter Turnley. His career has been quite prolific and he has photographed events ranging from Harley Davidson's anniversary to the Bosnian war. He found his way down to Ground Zero on 9/11 and spent the night holed up in an office building accross from Ground Zero. He is far more articulate than I am, and shares his observations and one of his photos here.

So, why the brain dump this morning? What's my point? Not sure that I have one. I'll note right now that this may not be the most cohesive closing paragraph. Not sure that matters. I think I'm just rambling. But, here's my current though, this is a different world that we live in. We're at war. I never thought that I'd be able to say that in my lifetime. But, I'm thankful and I'm blessed that every day of my life I'm surrounded by people that I know and that know me. And, I'm thankful that I have Adam and Bailey. Certainly, I'll remember 9/11 forever. However, with it, I'll remember how fortunate I am to have such a beautiful family.